| Dear Fellow Genealogist,
“Where are you from?” Most people ask this intending to learn someone’s birthplace or the name of the town they grew up in. But for genealogists, the question often means “Where are your ancestors from?”
Curiosity about ethnic heritage is a driving factor for many family historians. Some seek connection with that deeper culture—even if their ancestors left the home country generations ago. (Anyone else remember those AncestryDNA commercials with lederhosen?)
Some research principles apply across all that time and space, but others are unique to your specific homeland. This newsletter shares guides to researching in three of them: Italy (church records), Germany (naming traditions) and Australia (a beginner’s guide).
Don’t worry if your papers aren’t in order: You won’t need a passport to travel back in time.
Globetrotting,
— Andrew, Editor of Family Tree Magazine
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